After a long summer break, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier is preparing to return to its element to participate in the TF35 Malcesine Cup on Lake Garda in early September.
Despite a result far from the goals at the Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2022 (21st overall, 5th in TF35, after 16 hours and 56 minutes of racing), the crew of TF35 Bertrand Demole, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier, remains motivated and looks forward to competing in the next two events of the 2022 championship.
Review of a challenging race
Particularly light in terms of wind, the Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2022 did not allow the TF35s to express their potential. The foilers never really foiled, which did not contribute to opening up the game. However, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier did not have a bad race, as it passed 3rd TF35 at Le Bouveret. It was on the return leg that things got a little tricky: ‘They took an option that was not the right one,’ explains Franck Citeau, the team’s coach. ‘After this mistake, they could never catch up with the leaders, as it started from the front. In these situations, there is nothing to be done. They were a bit unlucky.’ Despite the small disappointment, it was quickly overcome, and everyone got back to work in preparation for the second part of the season.
Knowing how to bounce back
The team gathered again just after mid-July for a final week of training on Lake Geneva before packing the boat into a container for its departure. ‘We organized a week of training and also carried out corporate outings on some afternoons,’ Franck Citeau further explained. ‘These allowed the project’s partners to experience the joys of foiling. It is always a pleasure to share our passion, and those who had the privilege of coming on board were truly delighted.’
In terms of training, we mainly worked on the basics, tacks and jibes, the classics. We also incorporated exercises on the leeward mark rounding. These should help us avoid being in a follower position coming out of the mark. If we are comfortable with these maneuvers, we can strategically reopen the game during the upwind leg. The coach also emphasized the importance of using all the data collected and analyzed by the onboard electronics. ‘We had a three-hour briefing just on this subject. It is a very important performance tool for us. It allows us to have an objective analysis of our settings.’
Managing logistics
After this summer session, the boat was disassembled and stored in its container for transport to Lake Garda, a renowned nautical destination known for its regular and strong thermal winds. “There are three to four days of work to reassemble the boat, and then we have a four-day training session before the start of the event. Since the conditions are very predictable, we will be able to make the most of these days.” Regarding the results, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier’s crew obviously hopes to showcase its true potential in the upcoming events. “We are still in a dynamic of progression. We showed in Mies that we could finish on the podium. And I think that’s where we really position ourselves, between 3rd and 4th place, relative to the fleet. We need to consolidate our achievements and confirm our potential. The crew is really performing well. We just need a little something to come out on top, and we are working on it.”
New sailing venue
Malcesine is located on the east shore of Lake Garda, in its northern part. The site is renowned for its typical thermic winds of the region. Lake Garda is nestled between mountains, channeling winds that rush down from the heights. Two main winds prevail: the Peler, from the north, blowing early in the morning, and the Ora from the south, rising in the afternoon. The morning wind is stronger, necessitating an early start on the water to fully benefit. Race committees schedule race times based on this weather factor.
The TF35 Malcesine Cup will take place from September 8 to 11. The boats will then be dismantled again for transport to the shores of the Mediterranean, in Scarlino, where they had already finished the season last year.
At this stage, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier is 6th in the overall standings. Two points separate them from 5th place, and four from 4th. This means that nothing is set, and significant changes are still possible in the last two remaining events.
